In a recent Directed Life podcast, Kap Chatfield and Luke Reelfs discussed the importance of speaking in tongues. Chatfield pastors Love Church in Omaha, NE. and Reelfs is a content creator and the host of Directed Life. He is also based in Nebraska.

Over the years, the gift of tongues has largely defined the charismatic movement. In the process, the gift has been maligned by both Charismatics and non charismatics alike.

Because of this, Chatfield believes it is an often ‘neglected’ gift. He is convinced that this needs to change.

One of the first issues that the two dealt with is the age old question on whether everyone can speak in tongues. Some believe that this gift is the sign that you are filled with the Holy Spirit. Others, even among Charismatics, do not.

Chatfield believes that every spirit-filled person can speak in tongues. He explains that there are two levels of the gift of tongues.

There is one aspect of this gift intended for public ministry. This gift can used during a service. But there are limitations. First there can only be two or three public displays of the gift during a single service. Secondly, it can only be used if a person with the gift of interpretation is present (1 Corinthians 14:27).

The second level is as a private prayer language. This level of gifting is not intended for a public setting. It does not require interpretation and Chatfield believes every spirit filled believer can have this particular gifting.

“Every Holy Spirit filled believer has the ability to access a personal prayer language to edify themselves,” Chatfield said.

And because of this, there are several benefits of tongues as a private prayer language.

First it is for personal edification

The one who speaks in a tongue edifies himself; but the one who prophesies edifies the church. (1 Corinthians 14:4 NASV)

Chatfield states that one of the purposes of the gift is to build ourselves up in God.

We are living in pressure filled days. The political and economic news is creating what Chatfield describes as spiritual exhaustion’. This gift can restore our soul.

Jude adds that it can be used to build up our faith (Jude 20).

Secondly, it is a form of spiritual warfare

According to Chatfield, one of the major purposes of the gift of tongues is spiritual warfare.

“Praying in tongues is one of the most effective forms of spiritual warfare that helps us build things and tear down things and create pathways,” Chatfield said.

In his discussion on spiritual warfare in Ephesians 6, the Apostle Paul closed it off by encouraging believers to pray in the Spirit:

“With every prayer and request, pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be alert with all perseverance and every request for all the saints,” (Ephesians 6:18 NASV)

We know from 1 Corinthians 14:14-15, that praying in the Spirit and speaking in tongues are the same thing.

So Paul is not only encouraging us to pray in the context of spiritual warfare, he stated that praying in the spirit or praying in tongues should dominate these prayers.

As a side note, we can also reasonably presume that Paul thought that every spirit-filled Ephesian was speaking in tongues.

Thirdly, our spirit is praying not our mind

For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unproductive. (1 Corinthians 14:4 NASV)

Chadfield points out that the third thing that happens when we pray in tongues is that our human spirit, empowered by the Holy Spirit, is praying.

As Paul explains, “For the one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people, but to God; for no one understands, but in his spirit he speaks mysteries,” (1 Corinthians 14:2 NASV)

“There is the Holy Spirit and the human spirit,” Chadfield said, “and the connection those two things is basically the API between the human soul and the mind of God. Your mind isn’t the thing that is praying.”

When we speak in tongues, ‘we are praying the perfect will of God” Chatfield continued. “We are actually unlocking these treasure chests in the Spirit realm that contain revelation, that contain wisdom, that contains insights, that you and I wouldn’t be able to access otherwise.”

Because, our spirit and the Holy Spirit are praying it has double encryption.

“It is an unintelligible language,” Chatfield stated. “We don’t even know what we’re praying. The devil doesn’t know what we’re praying, but God knows what we’re praying.”

He went on to describe it as an “an unhackable source code.”

This means that even Satan doesn’t know what is being prayed. Only God knows and because we don’t know, we can’t inadvertently spill the beans.

The Importance of the Gift

While Paul stated that prophecy is more important than tongues (1 Corinthians 14:5), the apostle also told the Corinthians that he spoke in tongues more than any of them (1 Corinthians 14:18).

This seems like a contradiction. But all Paul was communicating is that in corporate setting, when you are ministering to other people, prophecy out values tongues.

But on a personal level, when you are involved in spiritual warfare or you need to be built up spiritually or you need a greater flow of the Holy Spirit, the Gift of tongues has a vital function.

It was a valued gift to Paul.